{"id":18549,"date":"2025-09-13T10:15:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T10:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/18549\/"},"modified":"2025-09-13T10:15:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T10:15:07","slug":"ruby-cruz-on-helping-cailee-spaeny-meet-taylor-swift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/18549\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruby Cruz on Helping Cailee Spaeny Meet Taylor Swift"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tWhen a movie called The Threesome<\/a> first showed up in Ruby Cruz<\/a>\u2019s inbox, she didn\u2019t bat an eyelash over the suggestive title. In fact, she felt it was rather fitting considering she made her feature debut in Emma Seligman\u2019s lauded sex comedy, Bottoms.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe title of director Chad Hartigan and writer Ethan Ogilby\u2019s romantic dramedy might create a barrier to entry for some viewers, but the well-received indie\u2019s equal balance of laughter and emotion is well worth an open mind. Cruz plays Jenny Brooks, a sheltered grad school student who works at a nonprofit soup kitchen. In the midst of being stood up at a restaurant, she\u2019s approached by Jonah Hauer-King\u2019s Connor Blake, who, as a former employee of the establishment, was encouraged by his bartender friend to cheer her up. That\u2019s not his only motivation, though, as he wanted to provoke Zoey Deutch\u2019s server character, Olivia Capitano, into taking the idea of their coupling more seriously.<\/p>\n

\n\tConnor\u2019s gambit works, and all three characters go out dancing before concluding their evening with the titular scene. Shortly thereafter, Jenny and Olivia discover that they\u2019ve both been impregnated by Connor, throwing a wrench in his and Olivia\u2019s now-blossoming relationship. Jenny then asks Connor to pose as her boyfriend for the sake of her religious conservative family.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe title might deter some people, but if they stick around for it, they\u2019ll be very pleasantly surprised with how wholesome it is,\u201d Cruz tells The Hollywood Reporter. \u201c[The titular scene] was actually the last scene that we filmed altogether. We\u2019d already established our friendships at that point. I felt really comfortable with [Deutch and Hauer-King], so it was definitely not awkward. Jonah might disagree because he was suffering from an extreme allergy attack.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTHR last caught up with Cruz<\/a> during season one of Willow<\/a>, and despite a second season being written already, the series was eventually canceled and abruptly removed from Disney+. The streaming bubble burst eight months before Willow\u2019s premiere, so the move was part of a much larger cost-saving initiative. Naturally, Cruz was upset at the time, but she remains grateful for the role of Princess Kit Tanthalos and her impact on fans.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cPeople still reach out and say some of the most heart-wrenchingly beautiful things about what Kit brought to them,\u201d Cruz says. \u201c[Willow] existed in its own little bubble of time and space, and it reached the people it needed to reach. Of course, I also feel conflicted about it. It breaks my heart that people can\u2019t watch it anymore, and I support people in wanting answers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tCruz took over the role of Princess Kit from her dear friend, Cailee Spaeny<\/a>. The pair became fast friends while playing best friends on the set of Mare of Easttown<\/a>. Spaeny even took Cruz to last year\u2019s Golden Globe Awards as part of her nomination for Sofia Coppola\u2019s Priscilla<\/a>. Spaeny originally moved to Cruz\u2019s hometown of Los Angeles with pop star ambitions, and her Taylor Swift<\/a> fandom likely had an influence on that decision. Thus, upon the realization that Swift was sitting near them at the Globes, Cruz took it upon herself to set up a one-on-one between Spaeny and Swift.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThat was Cailee\u2019s princess moment. She was remarkable in [Sofia Coppola\u2019s] Priscilla. I was just there to support her in any way I could, and Taylor Swift was right there,\u201d Cruz recalls. \u201cI was feeling liquid courage-y. She grew up listening to Taylor, and I was like, \u2018Well, this is your night. We\u2019re not leaving until this happens.\u2019 And I guess I was sitting next to Taylor\u2019s manager\u2019s partner or something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe t\u00eate-\u00e0-t\u00eate ultimately happened<\/a>, and Cruz enjoyed her own moment of recognition when Swift spotted the difference between her Mare of Easttown character and her real-life self. (Cruz is known for being a chameleon in terms of her frequently changing appearance.)<\/p>\n

\n\tBelow, during a recent conversation with THR, Cruz also discusses the wave of recent love triangle stories, as well as the original version of The Threesome\u2019s mid-credit scene.<\/p>\n

\n\t***<\/p>\n

\n\tWell, I assume you got an email one day that asked you to put yourself on tape for something called The Threesome. With a title like that, what snap judgement did you make?<\/p>\n

\n\tIt felt like I was inviting that sort of thing. The first movie I made was called Bottoms, so it felt pretty natural that the second movie I would make would be called The Threesome. (Laughs.) But I love the title, and I was immediately interested when it came up in my inbox. I was like, \u201cWhat could this be about?\u201d But then it proved itself to be something very different and very touching. The title might deter some people, but if they stick around for it, they\u2019ll be very pleasantly surprised with how wholesome it is.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe movie was [9\/1\u2019s] mystery movie at AMC [and Regal]. The audience goes in not knowing what movie they\u2019re going to show. So Chad [Hartigan], the director, showed me this post of someone saying they walked out of their mystery screening. But their explanation was like, \u201cI walked out of The Threesome today because I was with my grandma.\u201d And that is so funny to me because I think older generations would actually love it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tZoey Deutch, Ruby Cruz and Jonah Hauer-King in Chad Hartigan\u2019s The Threesome<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Vertical<\/p>\n

\n\tYeah, the movie is certainly not as risqu\u00e9 as the title implies. As far as the titular scene, love scenes or intimate scenes between two people are already a bit awkward, I imagine. So was the title scene involving three people as uncomfortable as one might expect?<\/p>\n

\n\tIt was actually the last scene that we filmed altogether. We\u2019d already established our friendships at that point, so it was just another day on the job. I felt really comfortable with [Zoey Deutch and Jonah Hauer-King], so it was definitely not awkward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tJonah might disagree because he was suffering from an extreme allergy attack during the filming. The house that we were shooting at had cats or something, and he\u2019s extremely allergic to them, so he had his own discomfort going on. But otherwise, it was all very comfortable. They\u2019re great people.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tDid they purposefully schedule the scene last so that everyone would be more comfortable with each other at that point?<\/p>\n

\n\tI do wonder if that\u2019s why. Typically, it\u2019s first up. So many things I\u2019ve been on have had intimate scenes shot so early on, which is fascinating. It\u2019s all part of the job; it\u2019s all acting. So I don\u2019t really know if that was their tactic, but it worked. We were all comfortable with each other already, and we also knew our characters, having spent so much time with them and their dynamics with each other.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tRuby Cruz as Jenny Brooks in Chad Hartigan\u2019s The Threesome<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Vertical<\/p>\n

\n\tJenny mentions that she\u2019s lived at home throughout college and grad school. Thus, she never got the chance to have a stereotypical college experience. Was this wild night her way of making up for that? Or was it more of a discovery in relation to her sexuality?<\/p>\n

\n\tI think it\u2019s a mix of both. She\u2019s feeling very stagnant in her life as well. Staying at home and in one environment her whole life has probably contributed to that. She\u2019s feeling, \u201cWow, I am getting older. I\u2019ve lived all this life already, but I still have so much to live. I feel changes happening inside of me, but my environment isn\u2019t changing, so how do I ignite something in my life to shake things up?\u201d So I think she was just feeling very stagnant, very bored and very lonely. It definitely had to do with feelings of loneliness, but also just feelings of being stuck. Both really contributed to it.<\/p>\n

\n\tJenny is still a grad student who works at a soup kitchen, and getting pregnant via a one night\/morning stand was obviously not what she had in mind for her life. What did you make of her decision to proceed?<\/p>\n

\n\tThat [night\/morning] was an attempt to shake things up, and this [pregnancy] being the result of that felt like a very clear direction that was being splayed out in front of her. To Jenny, it felt very obvious that she should take this path. So I thought this story was so fascinating because it\u2019s a new telling of someone deciding to become a parent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tWeirdly enough, people in my life were getting pregnant at the same time I was reading the script, and they\u2019d just started seeing each other within one month. It was a very specific situation, but their parents were around to help. And they felt like this happened to them for a reason, regardless if it was a religious reason or a sense of direction in life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tFor Jenny, it was like, \u201cLife is short. It reveals itself in different ways all the time, and if this is something that\u2019s happening to me, I might as well take it.\u201d It\u2019s kind of an indescribable belief. So I think Jenny\u2019s upbringing might have had some influence on her, but I don\u2019t think she believes what her overbearing and controlling parents believe. I think she sees this as fate. She was like, \u201cThe one day I decide to do something new, my life changes drastically. I\u2019ve been wishing and hoping for change, so I might as well see where this takes me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tRuby Cruz on the set of The Threesome<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Shayna Goldberg<\/p>\n

\n\tLove triangles, like the one in The Threesome, are a renewed trend right now. Challengers, Materialists, Snack Shack and Past Lives are other recent examples. Do you have any theories why they\u2019re so back in vogue right now?<\/p>\n

\n\tI wonder if there\u2019s a cultural rise. Maybe people are just feeling inspired. Challengers was amazing. I loved that movie, and I really was a huge fan of it. But\u00a0 I think people just relate to people who are figuring it out. Watching people fall in love is always such a beautiful thing, and I always love a good romance story. It\u2019s so fascinating to me. But there\u2019s also a messiness that people can relate to as they try to decode feelings and figure out the right thing to do. People can relate to complications. But I don\u2019t know if there\u2019s a cultural mirroring of people trying this out these days.<\/p>\n

\n\tI\u2019ve covered some work recently that used real-life photos or home videos of the actor in question. Does Little Jenny\u2019s footage belong to you or a young actor?<\/p>\n

\n\t\u200b\u200bNo, that was an actress [Rivver Manen]. She\u2019s a star. Chad and I sent some of the audition tapes to each other, and we were obsessed with her. She had so much energy, and it was an interesting contrast between the way we see Jenny now. She has this shyness that she\u2019s built up over time, but she started out as such a wild firecracker.<\/p>\n

\n\tI did provide the art department with a bunch of pictures of me, my family and my friends for Jenny\u2019s room. They did an incredible job. These pin boards and framed photographs were so gorgeous and elaborate, but of course, they are not seen once on screen. It was still really nice to look at all of my friends\u2019 faces during those scenes in her bedroom.<\/p>\n

\n\t[The following quesiton\/answer contains spoilers.] There\u2019s a wedding reception scene at the very end of the closing credits\u2019 blooper reel. Was that scene a part of the actual movie at one point? Or was it strictly shot for the outtakes?<\/p>\n

\n\tI think it was always a bonus scene. I love when romcoms have an extra scene through the credits. At first, Jenny had a partner or date with her, but her arc is discovering that the love that she keeps searching for is the love between her and her child, not her and some other romantic partner.<\/p>\n

\n\tYou experienced this on Bottoms as well, but did you know ahead of time that your bloopers had the potential to make the closing credits?<\/p>\n

\n\tThere was no heads-up. (Laughs.)<\/p>\n

\n\tIf they told you, then you might become self-conscious and not give a natural reaction.<\/p>\n

\n\tYeah, but it\u2019s happened so many times now that I\u2019m aware.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tCailee Spaeny<\/a> and Ruby Cruz on Mare of Easttown<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Michele K. Short\/HBO<\/p>\n

\n\tI happened to binge Brad Inglesby\u2019s new series, Task, over the weekend, and it reminded me of the saga between you and Cailee Spaeny that began on Brad\u2019s previous show, Mare of Easttown. You played best friends on Mare and became real friends in the process, before you replaced her on Willow. Anyway, she told me how valuable you were as her plus-one at last year\u2019s Golden Globes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t(Laughs.)<\/p>\n

\n\tYou were insistent that she meet Taylor Swift<\/a> that night, and you apparently helped get the word out so it could happen. What made you take the initiative?<\/p>\n

\n\tThat was Cailee\u2019s princess moment. She was remarkable in [Sofia Coppola\u2019s] Priscilla<\/a>. I was so proud of her. I was so honored and excited to accompany her to such a fabulous celebration of her as a person and as an actress. I was just there to support her in any way I could, and Taylor Swift was right there. We were surrounded by people that we look up to and people that we adore, and I was feeling liquid courage-y. She grew up listening to Taylor, and I was like, \u201cWell, this is your night. We\u2019re not leaving until this happens.\u201d And I guess I was sitting next to Taylor\u2019s manager\u2019s partner or something like that.<\/p>\n

\n\tThat was such an amazing night. Cailee and I don\u2019t live in the same city, so whenever I get to see her, it\u2019s always just bursts of joy and laughter. That\u2019s my date, always. We\u2019ll always have a good time. We\u2019ll always figure out how to navigate these environments that can be so heightened and confusing, and I just love having her around in those moments. She\u2019s the best. I miss her so much. I\u2019m going to call her after this.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe move from L.A. to New York, did you just need a change of scenery?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tI totally did. I was looking for change and I got it. I love it. I face the world every day now. In L.A., I was very much in my own little world.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tCailee also told me that Taylor recognized you despite you being unrecognizable from your character on the show. Taylor said something like, \u201cBut you were blonde in Mare of Easttown, weren\u2019t you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tYeah, that was crazy.<\/p>\n

\n\tDid that recognition put some spring in your step for a while?<\/p>\n

\n\tYeah, I was not expecting that at all.<\/p>\n

\n\tIf the shoe was on the other foot, what person would you want Cailee to help introduce you to?<\/p>\n

\n\tOh my God, that\u2019s such a good question. She knows so many cool people. I\u2019m so excited for [Wake Up Dead Man], the new Knives Out movie she\u2019s in. So I would love to hang out with her and celebrate her cast. I basically want to meet anyone in Cailee\u2019s life. I also just watched The Last Showgirl and thought it was beautiful, so I\u2019d love to meet the Coppola family too.<\/p>\n

\n\tCailee could certainly make that happen as well. Are you usually unfazed by celebrities?<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s different every single time. I get shockingly starstruck sometimes, and then sometimes I\u2019m like, \u201cWell, I\u2019m just going about my way, and you\u2019re going about yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tI briefly touched on Willow moments ago. Were you pretty gutted by the way it was treated, especially knowing that season two was already written?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tYeah, in the moment when the [cancellation and Disney+ removal] happened. But I just feel so much gratitude for that whole experience and all the people that I met while shooting it and for what Kit taught me and the way that people responded to Kit. People still reach out and say some of the most heart-wrenchingly beautiful things about what Kit brought to them.<\/p>\n

\n\t[Willow] existed in its own little bubble of time and space, and it reached the people it needed to reach. Of course, I also feel conflicted about it. It brought so many people joy, and it taught me so many things. So it breaks my heart that people can\u2019t watch it anymore, and I support people in wanting answers.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tRuby Cruz\u2019s Princess Kit on Willow <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Lucasfilm<\/p>\n

\n\tI don\u2019t think it was the show\u2019s fault. In the spring of 2022, before Willow even came out, Wall Street devalued streaming. So most of the industry immediately pumped the brakes on its streaming spend and output. Of course, it\u2019s still disappointing, but it was much bigger than any one show.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u200b\u200bTotally. In the end, I\u2019m just grateful for everything it gave me. It really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and maybe it makes sense that it\u2019s a once-in-a-lifetime watching experience as well. (Laughs.) So I\u2019ve had to figure out my ways of coping.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t***
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